Self-propelled vehicle with articulate frame sections and power plant support



Feb. 27, 1951 D. c. HEITSHU 2,543,319

SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLE WITH mncunma FRAME SECTIONS AND POWER PLANTSUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 14, 1947 In ueniori- Feb. 27, 1951D. c. HEITSHU 2,543,319

SELF-PROPEUED VEHICLE wm-x ARTICULATE FRAME ssc-rmns AND POWER PLANTSUPPORT Filed Nov. 14. 1947 s. Sheets-She 2 Feb. 27, 1951 D. C.IHEITSHU2,543,319

saw-momma mum wmx Aa'rzcummmux SECTIONS mm mm mm surroa'r Filed Nov. 14,1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 27, 1951 SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLE WITHABTICU- LATE FRAME SECTIONS AND POWER PLANT SUPPORT Daniel C. Heitslm,Moline, Illa mo: to Deere & Company, Moline, Ill

nois

.. a corporation of Illi- Application November 14, 1947, Serial No.785,961 I 6 Claims. (CI. 180-1) This invention relates to a new andimproved vehicle especially adapted for agricultural purposes and isprincipally designed from the standpoint of providing a flexible frameto which may be attached or on which may be carried a variety ofagricultural implements, particularly implements or machines of theharvester type.

In the past a great deal of design effort has been centered on providingagricultural implements especially adapted for attachment to or mountingon tractors of existing types. In many cases the program has beeneminently successful, the only disadvantage being that in many cases theuse of a particular implement with a tractor is tantamount towithdrawing the tractor from use for other purposes because of thedifficulty with which the implement is dismounted therefrom. In someinstances the complicated nature of the implement or the means for at.-taching the same to or mounting the same on the tractor virtuallyprevents convenient disassembly of the two units, in which case theowner of the tractor and implement is compelled to provide himself withan additional tractor, obviously at considerable additional expense. Inother instances the special design-of the implement to adapt the samefor attachment to or mounting on the tractor detracts somewhat from theeflicient operation of the machine as a unit and the inefllciency mustbe disregarded as compensated for by the desirability of operation ofthe tractor and implement as a unit.

According to the present invention, it is an important object to providean inexpensive vehicle frame which will take the placeof a tractor forcarrying implements. To this end, many of the expensive design featuresof a tractor may be eliminated and the frame of the vehicle may take theform of a relatively simple frame structure including a power plant forpropelling the same and for driving the moving parts of any agriculturemachine that is attached thereto or mounted thereon.

Another object of the invention relates to the provision of a vehicleframe structure in which a structural part of the frame also serves asmeans for carrying an agricultural implement or machine. In this respectit is also contemplated, in one form of the invention, that thestructural members serve also to carry or enclose driving means for thetraction wheels of the vehicle. An important feature of the invention isto provide a frame that is flexible for the purpose of accommodatingvertical movement of the frame components relative to each other as thewheels 2 follow varying ground contour. In'another aspect, the inventioninvolves the mounting of a power plant and an operator's station on theframe in such manner as to accommodate flexing of the frame components.

The foregoing and other important objects.

and features of the invention will become apparent as the disclosurethereof ismore fully made in the following detailed description, takenin conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein thereare shown, by way of example, two preferred forms of the invention.

In the drawings:

f Figure l is a plan view of one form of a vehicle frame shown ascarrying a harvesting implement of the corn picker type;

. Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the frame structure; a

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale and partly insection, showing the relationship between certain frame components anddriving means between the power source and one of the section wheels;

Figure 4 is a rear end view of the vehicle frame, the harvester havingbeen omitted from the drawing; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modified form of frame, shown without theharvester or similar implement attached thereto.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 1-4 may be generallydescribed as consisting of a vehicle frame substantially in the form of.an H made up by a first fore and aft extending side member 20, a secondfore and aft extending side member 2| and a transverse or cross member22, these members respectively forming the legs and crossbar of the H.The forward end of the side member 20 is carried on a Wheel 23 and theforward end of the other side member 2| is similarly carried on 'a wheel24; the side member 20 is carried at its rear end on a traction wheel25, and the rear end of the other side member 2! is similarly carried ona traction wheel 26, these wheels providing ground-engaging means forsustaining the frame. The frame is further provided with a power plantor unit 30. for supplying power to the traction wheels 25 and 26. Anoperator's station 3| is carried by the frame just ahead of the powerplant 30 and is provided with controls for operating the vehicle,details of which will be set forth subsequently. In the presentdisclosure the vehicle frame is shown as carrying a crop harvester ofthe corn picker type, here shown as a four-row picker includinggathering units 35, 36, 31 and 38. These units may be carried in anydesired manner on the transverse or cross member 22. These units includerearwardly and upwardly extending elevator housings 38, 48, 4| and 42,respectively, for delivering gathered crops to a transversely extendinghopper 43 in which is located a transverse auger 44, intermediate theends of which is located the receiving end of a rearwardly and upwardlyinclining wagon elevator 45. The details of the harvester illustratedform no particular part of the invention and can be replaced with anyother suitable construction, as desired. Similarly, the entire harvestermay be replaced with any other implement or machine, the substitu tionof which for that shown will readily occur to those skilled in the art.Accordingly, the illustration of the harvester structure is ratherschematic. v

The wheels 23 and 24 are dirigible or steerable so that the direction oftravel of the vehicle can be controlled. This arrangement isaccomplished by the provision for the wheel 23 of a stub axle 46including a vertical spindle 41 at the upper end of which is a steeringarm 48. The wheel 24 is rotatably carried on a stub axle 50 including avertical spindle at the upper end of which is carried a steering arm 52.A portion of the steering control means for the wheels 23 and 24 iscarried by the side members 20 and 2|. The member 20 includesintermediate its front end and the point of connection with thetransverse member 22'a bracket on which is mounted a bell crank 53. Onearm of the bell crank is connected by a forwardly extending link 54 tothe steering arm 48. The other side member 2| carries a. bracket onwhich is pivoted a bell crank 55, one arm of which is connected by aforwardly extending link 56 to the steering arm 52. The other arms ofthe bell cranks 53 and 55 are cross connected by a transverse tie rod51, the control of which is influenced by mechanism at the operator'sstation 3|, the

details of which will be setforth below.

The rear end of the left hand side member 20 includes a wheel housing 58in which is journaled a drive axle 6| for the traction wheel 25. Therear end of the right hand side member 2| is similarly provided with awheel housing 62 which journals a drive axle 63 for the traction wheel26. As best shown in Figure 3, at least the rear portion of the rightside member 2| is preferably of tubular construction to form a housingfor driving means to be presently described. At least the rear portionof the left hand side member 20 is similarly provided, and it will beunderstood from the description to follow that both side arms are thesame at their rear end portions. Figure 3 shows that the drive axle 53for the traction wheel 25 extends into the tubular portion of the sidemember 2|, and within this tubular portion the axle 63 has keyed theretoa driving sprocket 65. A driving chain 66 is trained about the sprocket65 and extends forwardly within the tubular portion of the member 2| tobe trained about a driving sprocket 51 keyed to the outer end portion ofa transversely extending shaft 68 housed within the member 22, which islikewise preferably of tubular construction. The inner end of the shaft68 is appropriately associated with differential drive mechanism,designated generally by the numeral 69 and carried within a gear casingprovided intermediate the ends of the transverse member 22. A seconddrive axle coaxial with the drive axle 68 has its inner end suitablyassociated with the differential mechanism 88 and extends laterallyoutwardly to the left side of the vehicle,

at which point it is associated with sprocket and chain drivingmechanism, similar to that previously described, for the purpose ofdriving the left hand traction wheel 25.

The transverse member 22 preferably comprises a plurality of tubularelements telescopically arranged and includes a pair of coaxial outersections '15 and 15, the former extending toward the right hand sidemember 2| and the latter extending in the opposite direction (Figure 3).The inner ends of the tubular sections 15 and 16 are spaced apart by theinterposition of the differential gear casing 10, to which the innerends of the members 15 and T6 are rigidly connected. The outer end ofthe member 15 terminates short of the right hand side member 2| and theouter end of the member 16 is similarh! associated with the left handside member 20. These outer ends of the members 15 and 16 arerespectively associated with the side members 2| and 20 in a mannerproviding a flexible or articulate connection to accommodate verticalflexing of the frame members as the wheels encounter varying groundcontour. Inasmuch as the connections at both ends of the member 22 willbe the same only one will be described, and in this respect referencewill be had again to Figure 3. The member 15 carries telescopedtherewithin an inner tubular member H the outer end of which terminatesagainst the inner face of the right hand side member 2| and surroundingan open ing 18 formed in the latter to accommodate the shaft 68. Thetubular member 11 may be nonrotatable with respect to the associatedmember 15 and thus provides a bearing on a transverse axis for a shortsleeve 19 having a flange welded, as at 88, or otherwise appropriatelysecured, to the inner face of the side member 2|. A thrust bearing orwasher 8| is interposed between the inner end of the sleeve or collar 19and the outer end of the member 15. The member 2| is thus carried by themember 22 for pivotal movement about a transverse axis which is the axisof the member 22. The other side member 20 is carried at the outer endof the other tubular section 16 in a manner similar to that justdescribed and that side member is similarly mounted for pivotal movementabout the transverse axis of the member 22, thereby impartingflexibility to the components of the frame so that the side members mayhave relative movement respectively in longitudinal, generally verticalplanes.

The outer end of the axle 68 extends through an opening 82 provided inthe outer side wall of the side member 2| and is threaded to receivethereon a nut 83 for the purpose of preventing lateral displacementbetween the members 2| and 22. A similar arrangement is provided at theother end of the member 22 for connecting that member to the left handside member 20. In this respect it will be understood that the innerends of the shafts 68 and H are non-displaceably carried by thedifferential carrier 69.

The power plant 30 is provided with a pair of longitudinally runningparallel frame members 85 (Figure 4), each in the form of an outwardlyfacing channel. These members are appropriately interconnected, as at86, at their rear ends; and are connected at their forward ends to apair of vertically extending supports 81, only one of which is shown inFigure 2. The lower end of each member 81 may be rigidly carried in anyappropriate manner on an intermediate portion of the transversestructure 22, and the upper end of each member suitably carries a lowerportion of the operators station 3|, the details of which will be setforth subsequently. This construction provides for the supporting atleast in part of the power plant 30 on the transverse structure 22. Thepower plant is also supported transverse bar 90 intermediate its ends iscurved upwardly at 93 to provide a portion in proximity to thetransverse member 86 of the power plant support. This portion 93 issuitably connected by means including a ball and socket joint 94 to thetransverse member 86. The transverse bar 90, because of its connections9 I-92 and the ball and socket joint 94, may have free vertical movementwithin limits as the side members 20 and 2I oscillate vertically abouttheir mounting on the transverse member 22, the bar or member 90 at thesame time continuing to support the rear overhanging portion of thepower plant 30.

The power plant 30 includes a power source comprising a forwardlyextending driving shaft 95 which in the present case is a forwardextension of the engine crank shaft (Figure 2). This shaft has keyedthereto a driving pulley 90 about which is trained a driving belt 91.The belt is also trained about a pulley 98 (Figure 3) carried on a shortlongitudinally extending shaft 98 which extends into a gear housing I00.This housing may contain conventional change-speed gearing, thecomponents of which are not shown since they form no particular part ofthe present invention. The change-speed gear housing I is appropriatelysupported in part by depending supports IOI from the longitudinal powerplant supporting members 85. The housing I00 includes as a rigid partthereof a forwardly extending housing portion I02 which is connected atits forward end to a rear portion of the differential gear housing 10.This portion I02 encloses and journals a forwardly extending power shaftI03 on the forward end of which is keyed a bevel pinion I04. The pinionI04 is in constant mesh with a bevel ring gear I05 appropriatelyassociated with the differential gear mechanism 69. The mechanism justdescribed completes the driving connection between the power plant 30and f the traction wheels 25 and 26. It will be remembered from thedescription that has gone before that most of this driving mechanism isenclosed, partly by the members 20, 2I and 22 and partly by the housingsI0, I 00 and I02.

The operators station 3i includes a longitudinally forwardly extendinghorizontal platform'I I0 which carries a seat I I l behind a steeringwheel H2. The steering wheel is appropriately supported by a verticalsupporting structure H3 which serves to enclose a vertical steeringshaft I I4, the lower portion of which is visible in Figure 2. The lowerend of the shaft II4 has keyed thereto a transversely extending arm H5which is connected by a link H6 to an arm II'I keyed to the upper end ofa vertical shaft H8. The shaft II8 may be journaled adjacent its lowerend by a bearing H9 suitably carried on a forward portion of thedifferential gear housing I0 and may be additionally supported by abearing I20 carried on a forwardly and upwardly inclining brace I2Ibetween the power plant supporting structure 88 and the platform H0. Thelower end of the steering shaft II8 has keyed thereto a forwardlyextending arm I22 (Figure 1 which is suitably connected to thetransverse tie. rod 51 previously described. In this'manner steering ofthe front wheels 23 and 24 is under control of an operator on the seat II I.

As previously stated, the transverse member 22 provides means forsupporting an agricultural implement or machine, in the present case thepicker units 35, 36, 31 and 38. In a case of this kind it is desirablethat the picker units be so mounted as to have limited vertical movementto accommodate themselves to varying ground contour and it ispreferablethat this vertical movement be accomplished by means of apivot on a transverse axis. Such means may be suitably employed to mountthe picker units on the transverse member 22 and to this end each pickerunit includes rearwardly and upwardly extending supporting structure inthe form of angle bars, only one of which appears in Figure 2, connectedat their rear ends to the transverse member 22. The structure justreferred to is designated generally by the numeral I25 in Figure 2 andhas not been set forth in greater detail inasmuch as it may assume manyforms, all well known to those skilled in the art. It is also desirablethat the gathering points of the picker units be raised for the purposeof transporting the vehicle and implement. For this purpose lifting andlowering means is provided, here shown as including a hand lever I26suitably carried on the platform H0 and extending therebelow forassociation with cable and pulley means I21, the latter means beingconnected to a transverse pipe I28 which joins the picker units 35, 36,31 and 38, so that all the picker units may be raised and lowered as aunit by means of the hand lever I26.

The vehicle is further adapted for the mounting or attachment ofimplements by the inclusion of means for driving moving parts of suchimplement or machine. To this end the power plant 30 includes a powersource or power take-off, here shown as comprising a pair of sprocketsI30 keyed on a forward extension of the power plant shaft 85 (Figures 1and 2). In the present instance the picker is shown as including theusual snapping rolls, here designated by the numeral I3l (Figure 2)which may be connected in any suitable manner to the power take-01fsprocket I30. Many examples of such driving connections are well knownto those skilled in the art and it is felt that no illustration isrequired in the present case.

including the left and right hand side members" 20 and 2| carriedrespectively on the wheels 23 and 25 and 24 and 26. In this case themembers 20 and 2| are cross connected by a transverse member I35,preferably in the form of a transverse tube. The left hand end of themember I35 may be rigidly secured, as by welding or otherwise, to theleft hand side member 20, the connection being designated at I38. Theright fication described above.

end of'the member I35 passes through the inner and outer walls of theside member 2i, which are appropriately apertured at I31 for thatpurpose. The connection is such as to provide a bearing on a transverseaxis between the member 2I and the right hand end of the tube I05, theconnection further including a pair of collars I38 for increasing theefficiency of the bearing and for preventing lateral displacement of themember 2| with respect to the member I35.

The power plant 30 of this modification is similar to the power plantpreviously described, with the exception that it includes differentchange-speed gear and differential gear housings. The change-speed gearhousing of the modification is designated by the numeral I40 and thedifferential gear housing is indicated at I4 I. It will be noted thatthese two housings are reversed in location with respect to the housingsl0 and I00 of the modification previously'described, and

in this case the differential gear housing MI is in substantialtransverse alignment with the axes of rotation of the traction wheels 25and 26. The change-speed gear housing encloses and journals a rearwardlyextending power shaft I42 which has keyed thereto a bevel pinion I43 inconstant mesh with a bevel ring ear I44. The latter element isappropriately associated with differential gear mechanism I45 includingoppositely extending shafts I45 and I41, the former extending to theright and the latter to the left. A flexible drive connection isprovided between the shaft I45 and the right hand traction wheel 25 anda similar flexible drive connection is established between theshaft I41and the left hand traction wheel 25. The right hand driving connectionincludes a transversely extending shaft I48 connected at its inner endby a universal joint I49 to the shaft I46 and at its outer end by auniversal joint I50 to an axle shaft II which has been substituted forthe corresponding axle shaft 63 of the modi- The left hand driving shaftI4! is connected by a universal joint I52 to a transversely extendingpower shaft I53 connected at its opposite end by a universal joint I54to an axle shaft I55 which has been substituted for the axle shaft 5| ofFigure 1. The universal joints I49, I50, I 52.and I54 provide forflexibility of the drivin mechanism as the side frame members 20 and 2Ioscillate vertically with respect to each other about the pivot providedby the bearing structure ISL-I38 at the right hand side of the frame.

The change speed gear housing I40 may be suitably supported from thetransverse member I35 by a pair of longitudinally extending transverselyspaced apart frame bars I56 which are rigidly secured to a short sleeveI51 carried by the member I35. The differential gear housing HI may besuspended from the power plant supporting structure 85 in a mannersimilar to the supporting means IIlI of Figure 2. The power plant issupported by means of the transverse bar 90 shown in Figure 4.

Except as set forth above, the two modifications of the invention arevery similar and the attributes of one are present in the other. Themodiflcation of Figure 5 may carry the picker construction of the othermodification and the operators station thereof may be of similar design.Likewise, the steering control linkage previously described may beinstalled in the modification of Figure 5 and it should be assumed thatsuch construction is present for the purposes of completing an operativedisclosure of the second modification.

In the use and operation of a vehicle patterned after eithermodification and equipped with any type of agricultural machine,considerable flexibility between the frame components is permittedbecause of the fiexibile connection between such components, and noundue strain will be applied to the parts. Accordingly, the structuremay be simple and light in weight, thus contributing to the economy ofmanufacture and ease of use. Either of the transverse members 22 or I 35provides an ideal location for the attachment or mounting of implementsor machines, inasmuch as such structure may be disposed between the sidemembers 20 and 2I and in a position where operation thereof may beeasily viewed by an operator at the station 3|. In either case the powerplant is appropriately supported on the frame and is not subject totwisting forces resulting from variations in or flexing of the frame asthe wheels encounter varying ground contour. The location of the powerplant behind the operators station is advantageous inasmuch as it doesnot interfere with the operator's vision forwardly. The power plantserves the dual purpose of supplying power for the traction wheels 25and 25 and also. by means of the power takeoff sprockets I30, supplyingavailable power for use in driving moving parts of the implement. Inthis respect the modification of Figure 5 should be considered asincluding the power take-oi! sprockets I30.

It is important to note, in both forms of the invention, that the weightof the vehicle, even without the implement or harvester, is concentratedon the traction wheels, which is as it should be, especially in caseswhere the vehicle carries corn harvesting machinery. Also, of furtherimportance is the general construction of the torque member 22, whichtakes the torque reaction of the engine, particularly under difllcultoperating conditions.

Various other features and objects of the invention will occur to thoseskilled in the art, as likewise will many modifications and alterationsin the preferred forms of the invention illustrated. It is therefore notdesired to limit the invention by the precise details of structuredisclosed.

I claim:

l. A self-propelled vehicle, comprising: a frame having front and rearends and including a pair of longitudinal, transversely spaced apartside members and a transverse member having opposite ends provided withmeans respectively connected to intermediate portions of the sidemembers, said means including provision for articulation of one of theside members relative to the other in a longitudinal vertical plane; aplurality of means supporting the side members from the ground, one ofsaid means including a traction element; a power unit extendinglongitudinally of the frame and having one and adjacent and supported onan intermediate portion of the transverse member and its other endgenerally transversely alined with the proximate ends of the sidemembers at one end of the frame; and a second transverse member havingopposite ends provided with means respectively connected to said sidemember ends and an intermediate portion having means supporting saidother end of the power plant, at least one of said end-connecting meansand said mw r-um pmr ns means including provision 9 for the aforesaidrelative articulation of the side members.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, further characterized in that: thepower unit has an internal combustion engine at a level above the firsttransverse member; a power-transmission means in depending relation tothe engine and positioned between and supported by the first and secondtransverse members.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, further characterized in that: thefirst transverse member carries a transversely extending drive element;means connects the drive element to the traction element; and thepower-transmission means has a supporting connection to the firsttransverse means including a housing containing a drive connection fromsaid power-transmission means to said drive element.

4. A self-propelled vehicle, comprising: a frame having front and rearends and including a pair of longitudinal, transversely spaced sidemembers having opposite end portions provided with rigid suspensionmeans for ground-engaging wheels, and a transverse member of rigidconstruction interconnecting said side members intermediate their endsfor arelative articulation of the side members in generally parallel,longitudinal, vertical planes; a power unit substantially centered onthe transverse member and extending longitudinally toward one end of theframe; a second transverse member supported at its opposite ends on theends of the side members at said one end of the frame and includingprovision of the aforesaid articulation of the side members and furtherincluding means intermediate its ends for supporting the power unit; anddrive means extending laterally outwardly from opposite sides of thepower plant toward and connected to proximate wheels, said drive meansincluding articulated parts for accommodating the aforesaid articulationof the side members.

5. An agricultural vehicle, comprising a frame carried on wheels andhaving generally the form of an H made up of a plurality of membersrespectively providing the legs and crossbar of the H and flexiblyinterconnected to accommodate vertical flexing of the frame as thewheels encounter varying ground contour; a power plant extendingnormally from the crossbar member and between the leg members; meanscarrying the power plant in part on the crossbar member; a transversemember extending between the leg members and spaced from the crossbarmember in the direction that the power plant ex-'- tends; meansarticulately connecting the trans-'- verse member at its opposite endsrespectively to the leg members; and means intermediate the ends of thetransverse member and articulately associated with the power plant forsupporting the power plant in part on the transverse memher.

6. The invention defined in claim 5, further characterized in that: apair of wheels are transversely alined generally in the transverse planeof said transverse member; the power plant includes a power-transmittingelement substantially in transverse alinement with said pair of wheels;and a pair of flexible drive elements extend respectively laterallyoppositely from the power-transmitting element and are connectedrespectively to the wheels of said pair-of wheels.

DANIEL c. HEITSHU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

